Quick Pickled Rhubarb (in an hour!)

Quick pickled rhubarb is sweet, savory, and slightly crunchy. With my 3-ingredient quick pickling method, they can be marinated and ready to eat in an hour. This unexpected ingredient will take your dishes to the next level with its sweet and sour flavor profile.

I started pickling my rhubarb 8 years ago after learning about it from a recipe in my weekly Blue Apron box. After college I bought Blue Apron meals as a way to teach myself how to cook and explore new flavor combinations. This was one of my many favorite flavor combinations discovered. Now we pickle our fresh rhubarb every spring and add it to most of our meals.

Learn how to quickly make this versatile condiment that can add a burst of tangy flavor to your favorite meals, much like you would use pickled onions.

Choose the right rhubarb

When selecting rhubarb for pickling, I like to choose fresh, firm stalks that are brightly colored with a deep red hue. I find it tends to be sweeter and more flavorful. Additionally, try to pick stalks that are small to medium in thickness, as they hold up better for pickling and provide a nice crunch in the end.

Quick Pickling Process

This flavorful, easy brine will infuse the rhubarb with a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and savory notes, bringing down the natural tartness of rhubarb.

1. Start by slicing 1 stalk of rhubarb into ¼-inch (.5 cm) slices. Place the slices in a small heatproof bowl.
2. Pour ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar into the bowl of cut rhubarb with a pinch of salt. Stir, refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. After marinating, strain the vinegar from the rhubarb into a small saucepan and return the cut rhubarb to the bowl.
4. Pour ¼ cup of water and ¼ cup of honey to the vinegar in the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until the honey is dissolved.
5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour over the the rhubarb. Stir. Refrigerate mixture for minimum of 20 minutes, longer is just fine, allowing the rhubarb to marinate in the pickling liquid.

Now that your pickled rhubarb is ready, let’s explore creative ways to incorporate it into your culinary creations. And don’t throw away the “juice” either!

Creative ways to use quick pickled rhubarb

My favorite creative way to use pickled rhubarb is adding it to salads. My favorite pickled rhubarb salad is made with cooked and cooled farro, arugula, avocados, spiced walnuts, and honey goat cheese. They pair beautifully together. The sweet and tangy flavor of the pickled rhubarb provides a refreshing contrast to the greens, making this salad super exciting for your taste buds.

Don’t throw away the pickling brine! Use it as a vinaigrette dressing with a little drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt and pepper.

You can also try incorporating pickled rhubarb into sandwiches, burgers, tacos, or wraps. Pickled rhubarb adds the perfect flavor wherever you’d normally use pickles, pickled onions, or pickled peppers.

For a fun snack, try pickled rhubarb with honey goat cheese and crackers. The acidity of the rhubarb cuts through the richness and sweetness of the cheese, resulting in a well-balanced and absolutely tasty bite.

Now I can’t wait to see you get creative in the kitchen and experiment with so many different ways to utilize rhubarb in your savory recipes. Let me know in the comments below how you used it and what you thought of this quick pickled rhubarb recipe!

Storing and serving

Pickled rhubarb can be served cold or at room temperature. Store quick pickled rhubarb in an airtight container and use within 3 days for best results.

Because this is a quick pickling process, it does not rely on fermentation. This is not a recipe for canning pickled rhubarb.